Policies & procedures

The Australian National University has a lively visual and performing arts program. The Drill Hall Gallery presents a changing program of diverse and stimulating exhibitions that highlight achievements in contemporary visual arts both nationally and internationally.

The Drill Hall Gallery is located on the ANU campus in Kingsley Street, Acton. It has a charter to provide the Canberra community and the University with a selective program of high quality exhibitions of Australian and international art.

The Gallery supports the arts in the Canberra region by providing link exhibitions developed in conjunction with the University’s wide ranging academic interests or to coincide with major conferences and public events. National and international exhibitions, and works from the University’s own extensive collection are features of the Gallery’s program.

Four areas at the Drill Hall Gallery — a large gallery and three intimate exhibition rooms — provide flexibility for large or small exhibitions. This flexibility allows the Drill Hall Gallery to show concurrent exhibitions by different artists. The Gallery has a set of guidelines for exhibition proposals.

Program perspectives

The following perspectives are used in developing the ANU Drill Hall Gallery’s program:

Link Exhibitions: Exhibitions which are developed in conjunction with appropriate ANU academic interests, including Art History, Asian Studies, Archaeology and Anthropology, Classics, the Centre for Indigenous Studies, the Colleges and the ANU Art Collection.

Touring Exhibitions: Exhibitions of an historical or social context or nature offered by touring agencies, including State and Regional Galleries, University Galleries and overseas cultural agencies such as the Goethe Institut, the Japan Foundation and the British Council.

A Canberra Arts Program: Exhibitions that enhance the educational role of the ANU and which complement the range of exhibitions available in the ACT.

Material Culture Exhibitions from the Asian-Pacific Region: This component anticipates important new areas of on-going development which will involve ANU Colleges, the National Gallery of Australia, State, Regional, University Galleries, Asialink and other agencies on a project basis.

Public Education Programs: Exhibitions that are held in conjunction with major conferences or public events and are integrated with the lectures, presentations and seminars thereof. Such exhibitions are designed to raise public awareness of these conferences and events, and should have a broader educational role.

Sale of artworks

As a non-profit organisation, the Drill Hall Gallery does not sell art objects though note the provisions of paragraph b) below.

The Drill Hall Gallery will normally exhibit work which would not usually be shown by a commercial/private gallery. This may include work from public or private collections, work of an ephemeral nature (ie: installations), or work which is in other ways not commercially oriented.

If the artist or the sponsoring organisation has indicated that the work is available for sale, and if there is a query about purchasing the work, the Drill Hall Gallery will put the potential buyer in touch with the artist or the artist’s agent or dealer.

The ANU Drill Hall Gallery does not accept a commission on any works sold.

Advisory committee

ANU Drill Hall Gallery and Art Collection Advisory Committee

Chair: Dean of Education, Faculty of Arts, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences

Terms of reference

To establish policy and advise the Director of the Drill Hall Gallery on the program of exhibitions and on the administration of the Gallery.

To establish policy and advise the Director and the Collections Officer of the ANU Art Collection on the administration of the ANU Art Collection.

The Committee may make recommendations to the Creative Arts Advisory Committee.

The Committee will meet at least three times per year.

Guidelines

Guidelines for the Art Collection Advisory Committee

The Committee provides professional advice to the Director, Drill Hall Gallery on the Gallery’s exhibition program and develops and oversees policy pertaining to the Gallery and the ANU Art Collection.

The Committee will receive from the ANU Art Collection Acquisitions Advisory Committee proposals for the purchase, or donation, of works of art for the ANU Art Collection and approve or reject such proposals.

Except for the Director and staff of the Gallery and Collection, no member of the Committee will curate exhibitions for the Drill Hall Gallery unless invited by the Committee to do so.

Members of the Committee will declare any interest or involvement they may have in or with any proposal for the purchase or donation of a work for the Collection, or for an exhibition to be included in the Gallery’s program, when it is being considered by the Committee.

The Committee encourages the professional development of the staff of the Drill Hall Gallery and ANU Art Collection through the development of exhibition proposals which they might curate and for the purchase of works for the Collection.